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A STAR TOO FAR
Page 62
Page 63
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In a bid to carve out a bigger share of the top end of the tractor market, MAN launched its 5 Star TGA package earlier this
year. Andy Salter assesses its credentials.
To be honest, we've never been big fans of special-edition models. Fancy paint job, chrome stacks, leather seats? Granted they look nice, and if that's your thing, go knock yourself out. But we've always preferred to see through the dressing up and assess a vehicle on its merits. In the case of the TGA that's no drawback because it always was, is and will remain for a while, we guess, a very good truck. The faults with the early models have been documented (CM 19 August 2004) and reliability has been transformed in more recent versions. Given this improvement in its fortunes — which by all accounts has been rewarded with improved driver acceptance — it's difficult to see why MAN needs a special edition of the TGA.
Luxurious seats
Having said all that, we couldn't help but be impressed by the looks of the 5 Star and that special edition cab interior does pamper its occupants with luxurious leather-effect driver and passenger seats and a sound system to make any self-respecting boy racer green with envy (it's 24-volt and won't work in a car in case the sticky-fingered brigade are reading this).
Cosmetics aside, theTGA is a very capable bit of kit. Our example came with the 530hp version of the D28 12.8-litre engine — this is soon Lobe replaced by anew engine derived from the impressive new D20 unit, but there's plenty of life left in it.All those horses are backed up by 2,400Nm of hill-flattening torque at 1,000-1,400rpm.
We took the 5 Star for a test drive around the Swindon hinterland, including dualcarriageway, motorway and single-carriageway motoring. With the 12-speed Tipmatic transmission doing its stuff. the driving task was mostly a matter of keeping between the ditches. Regular readers will by now be familiar with the operation of the Tipmatic; simply select drive on the rotary switch on the gearstick console, release the handbrake and stick your foot down. The electronics do the rest. You can fiddle about by selecting manual override if you want, but there's really no reason to: the ZF-built transmission is clever enough to ensure any mistakes are minor blips. Albeit reluctantly, as a former professional truck driver, I've come round to the view that there's little point in swimming against the auto transmission tide.
The TGA XXI. is a big cab with classleading driver living space and surprisingly, given such a big cab, there's a welcome absence of cab sway when you ask the truck to press on and go about its business. Obviously, given its long-haul credentials, it's ideally suited to motorway driving, but the steering is sufficiently weighted to give a good feel and the overall handling set-up inspires confidence.
Highly pleasurable
As mentioned, theTGA driving experience is highly pleasurable and we remain unconvinced of the need for this 5 Star treatment. MAN already has a very good top-of-therange truck in the TGA XXL, and the 5 Star is little more than an XXL with some window dressing.The only things exclusive to the 5 Star are the paint job, the chrome insets in the bumper and some trim details we'd need some convincing to part with the extra cash.
Setting the fripperies to one side, however, the TGA is one hell of a truck to drive.The combination of Tipmatic transmission and the 530hp engine ensure effortless motoring.'The imminent launch of a new engine to join the impressive D20 in the MAN line-up for power ratings above 430hp will give the TGA a major boost at the top end of the range. If the new motor is as good as its little brother seems to be, MAN will be well on the way to commanding a major slice of the UK tractor market with or without any special edition packaging. •